Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Dietary Difference provides comprehensive Nutrition Care Management that meets all state and federal guidelines for LTC facilities. Our proprietary Dietary Difference Consulting System ensures our consultants follow streamlined protocols that allow more time for collaboration with your staff and residents. We focus on building strong relationships with your team, residents, and families to improve outcomes and make everyone's life easier. Our consultants seamlessly integrate into your facility, understanding its culture and needs to become an indispensable member of your team.

A member of our management team will meet with your administrator and director of nursing to assess your priorities and challenges. Within the first few weeks, we will conduct several audits, including:

• Kitchen sanitation inspection
• Menus and FNS budget review
• Resident weight history and significant weight changes
• Tube feed formula and supplement usage
• Diet orders and tray card accuracy
• Any other areas of concern

We will implement our weight and supplements protocols and introduce your consultant dietitian. A Dietary Difference manager works alongside your FNS manager/chef and consultant the entire time we have the account, not just during the transition.

Our weight management protocol is a core part of our approach to nutrition care. Inaccurate weights can skew your quality measures and impact resident health.

1. Initial Assessment: We review each resident’s past six months of weight history, removing questionable data and calibrating scales.
2. Monthly Weight Monitoring: Your consultant supervises your staff to ensure accurate, timely monthly weights. Post-dialysis weights are obtained for comparison, and any questionable weights are redone. You’ll receive a report with a six-month weight history and relevant data for your interdisciplinary team.
3. Significant Weight Change Report: Each month, we provide a report detailing the reason for weight changes, interventions, and documentation.
4. Weekly Weights: High-risk residents are weighed weekly, including tube-fed and newly admitted residents. This helps track the effectiveness of interventions and identify issues with appetite or fluid overload.

Our weight protocol reduces the number of significant weight changes and improves overall nutrition care quality.

We address supplement use by phasing out ineffective products and streamlining your formulary. We prioritize high-calorie enteral formulas and high-protein supplements for skin support. Supplements are taste-tested with residents before ordering, and we review each resident’s needs quarterly to minimize unnecessary use. This approach leads to significant cost reductions while promoting a food-first philosophy.

Our services offer unmatched value, and we can often meet or beat competitor pricing. If your dietitian is an employee, we can turn that expense into an investment. With our Waste Related Cost Reduction Program, a 60-150 bed facility can save $1,500–$6,000 per month.

Our clients consistently achieve near-perfect survey results. We offer as much or as little assistance as needed during surveys and guarantee support when surveyors are on-site. We assist in developing and executing QAPI programs tailored to your facility's needs. Our weight loss quality measures are consistently among the lowest in the state, well below the national average.